A contract was signed in September, 1998, launching is a large, multicenter study sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Scheduled to begin in 1999, the study seeks to determine the most effective treatment strategies and to systematically assess outcomes of medication and psychosocial treatments for 5,000 - 10,000 patients with bipolar (manic-depressive) disorder. Data collected over a five year period will be analyzed to determine the impact of various treatments on specific outcomes, quality of life and illness-related costs. The Coordinating Center of the contract is at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. They are actively recruiting potential investigational sites to participate in this exciting longitudinal study, the largest such effort ever sponsored by the NIMH.